The Poetical Works of - OUDL Home

Cant X
25
And all without were walkes and alleyes dight
With diuers trees, enrang'd m euen rankes,
And here and there were pleasant arbors pight,
Andshadie seates, and sundry flownng bankts,
To sit and rest the walkers weane shankes,
And therein thousand payres of louers walkt,
Praysmg their god, and yeelding him great
thankes,
Ne euer ought but of their true loues talkt,
Ne euer for rebuke or blame of any balkt
26
All these together by themselues did sport
Their spotlesse pleasures, and sweet loues con
tent
But farre away from these, another sort
Of louers hncked in true harts consent,
Winch loued not as these, for like intent,
But on chast vertue grounded their desire,
Farre from all fraud, or fayned blandishment,
Which in their spirits kindling zealous fire,
Braue thoughts and noble deedes did euermore
aspire 27
Such were great Hercules, and Hylas deare,
Trew Jonathan, and Dautd trustie tryde ,
Stout Tkeseus, and Pinlhous his feare ,
Pylades and Orestes by his byde,
Myld Titus and Gesippus without pryde ,
Damomnd Pythias whomdeath could notseuer
All these and all that euer had bene tyde
In bands of fnendship, there did hue for euer,
Whose hues althoughdecay'd, yet loues decayed
neuer 28
Which when as I, that neuer tasted blis,
Nor happie howre, beheld with gazefull eye,
I thought there was none other heauen then this,
And gan their endlesse happmesse enuye,
That being free from feare and gealosye,
Might f rankely there their loues desire possesse,
Whilest I through paines and nerlous leopardie,
Was forst to seeke my lifes aeare patronesse
Much dearer be the things, which come through
hard distresse
29
Yet all those sights, and all that else I saw,
Might not my steps withhold, but that forth
right
Vnto that purposd place I did me draw,
Where as my loue was lodged day and night
The temple of great Venus, that is hight
The Queene of beautie, and of loue the mother, \
There worshipped of euery humg wight,
Whose goodly workmanship farrepast all other
That euer were on earth, all were they set
together
FAERIE QVEENE. 263
3°
Not that same famous Temple of Diane,
Whose hight all Ephesus did ouersee,
And which allAsta sought with vowesprophane,
One of the worlds seuen wonders sayd to bee,
Might match with this by many a degree
Nor that, which that wise King of Iurteiramtd,
With endlesse cost, to be th'Almighties see,
Nor all that else through all the world is named
To all the heathen Gods, might like to this be
clamed
I much admynng that so goodly frame,
Vnto the porch approcht, which open stood ,
But therein sate an amiable Dame,
That seem'd to be of very sober mood,
And in her semblant shewed great womanhood
Strange was her tyre, for on her head a crowne
She wore much like vnto a Danisk hood,
Poudredwithpearleandstone,andallhergowne
Enwouen was with gold, that raught full low a
downe
32
On either side of her, two young men stood,
Both strongly arm'd, as fearing one another,
Yet were they brethren both of halfe the blood,
Begotten by two fathers of one mother,
Though of contrane natures each to other
The one of them hight Loue, the other Hate,
Hate was the elder, Loue the younger brother,
Yet was the younger stronger in his state
Then th'elder, and him maystred still in all
debate
33
Nathlesse that Dame so well them tempred both,
That she them forced hand to loyne in hand,
Albe that Hatred was thereto full loth,
And turn'd his face away, as he did stand,
Vnwilling to behold that louely band
Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might,
That her commaundment he could not with
stand,
But bit his lip for felonous despight,
And gnasht his yron tuskes at that displeasing
Bight 34
Concord she cleeped was in common reed,
Mother of blessed Peace, and Friendship trew,
They both her twins, both borne of heauenly
seed,
And she her selfe likewise diumely grew,
The which right well her workesdiumedid shew
For strength, and wealth, and happmesse she
lends,
And strife, and warre, and anger does subdew
Of litle much, of foes she maketh frends,
And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet
sends